21 November 2012

Lush a Week #1 Dream Cream

There are so many lovely Lush products that I want to show you because I am addicted to them so welcome to Lush a Week, the best way I could think of showing you the things I love without turning Three Little Buhos into a Lush fan page :)
Dream Cream is my number one Lush product. I adore it and have been using it for months and months now. I actually meant to write a review back in the summer but after getting a job working for the company I became a little worried that people would think that I only write about Lush products because I want to sell them to you. I promise that isn't the case and I guess that if you think otherwise that is down to you, but at the end of the day, this is my blog and I want to fill it with the things I love.

So, Dream Cream!
A gorgeously thick and indulgent cream, Dream Cream is a hand and body lotion designed by Lush specifically for sensitive skin, eczema and psoriasis. I first discovered this product when I went in to Lush looking for something to ease the horrible eczema I get all over my legs. The girl selling the product (now one of my best friends at work) had so much faith that she sent me away with a sample pot which left me hooked because it really works.

The reason that dream cream is so effective is the range of ingredients packed in. The top ingredient it oat milk which is made by simmering oatmeal in water. Oats are a natural antihistamine and instantly sooth any itchiness and irritation. Dream cream is actually 39% oat milk so thats a lot of instant relief on my sore pins!
There is also a high percentage (24%) of rose water which is a light ingredient that helps to reduce redness caused by the irritation.
Other ingredients include lots of lavender and chamomile to sooth and balance the skin, cocoa butter which softens and helps prevent scarring, olive oil which strengthens the skin and glycerine which gives a protective layer to the skin whilst locking in moisture.
Finally, as a lovely little extra there is also a small amount of tea tree oil in there which is an antiseptic which stops cracked or broken skin getting infected.

Dream Cream is definitely a product full of ingredients used for effect which is why it is so amazing on very troubled skin. Everything is kept super simple and there is nothing in there that doesn't need to be.

Taking all of this into account I would always recommend this to anyone who suffers from dry or troubled skin. It really has changed my life. I used to have incredibly bad eczema on my legs so I wouldn't wear anything that would show them because of the scarring, scabs and redness but now my skin is almost completely clear and the scars are barely noticeable so I'm a lot happier whipping my pins out.

Have you tried dream cream? What do you think of it? Are there any Lush products you'd like to see reviewed or know a bit more about?
Annie x

ps. I'm off to Canterbury for the next few days so I'm not sure how regularly I'll be blogging. I will still be tweeting at @AnnabelleJohn and on instagram at @threelittlebuhos so keep in touch by following me there :)

17 November 2012

Stocking Fillers Under £10

That time of year has arrived. Christmas shopping is firmly under way, the streets are filling up, and everyone is stressing over a gift for that person who is just soo damn hard to buy for. It might be that you have a secret santa present to buy, something for your partners sibling, that random friend who you know will buy you something bizarre or you might just need a little top up. But whatever the reason, stocking fillers always come in handy.
I class a stocking filler as a gift costing £10 or less...more of a make weight gift really, or a token (although topshop have gifts costing up to £35ish on their website under the title stocking fillers, yikes!)
So here is a little round up of some of the mini gifts on the market this christmas.
1. How cute is this little raccoon hottie. Pop him in the microwave for warming cuddles on a cold night :) £8 Topshop.

2. For someone up for a party, these Jelly Alcoshots are great. I've bought these before for Daniel so I can vouch for their fabness. £3.99 River Island (£10 from Urban Outfitters so be price wise!)

3. Hot chocolate couldn't be much more festive if it tried, but I think christmas pudding hot chocolate may have just succeeded. It is super chocolatey and mixed with the fruity spiciness you would expect from christmas pudding. £4.50 Whittards.

4. Fabulous Fashion is a sweet add on for any #fblogger, fledging designer or general fashion freak you may know. Full of designer doodles to complete and create. £9.99 River Island.

5. As the proud owner of a Lego LED key light myself, I know people will enjoy receiving one. A good top up or secret santa for a male friend. £8 Topshop.

6. Another option for festive drinking, I think this Hot Spiced Wine kit would be great for almost anyone over 18. The cinnamon stick on the front can be used as well and smells good. £8 Whittards.

7. Finally, it wouldn't be christmas without a Lush gift. Winter Wonderland is a great one because it contains two products perfect for a little christmas pamper. Snowcake soap has the ultimate festive scent and Dream Cream will keep skin protected from the winter chill. £6.96 Lush.

Annie x

15 November 2012

Beauty Baking: An Introduction

Beauty baking may seem like a strange idea, and nope, I'm not making my own beauty products. What I mean by beauty baking is ingredients used for effect.
When putting a product together, any company worth its salt will pack it full of ingredients that will be beneficial to the skin/hair/nails or wherever it is being used.
When I buy a product, especially for my skin which is very sensitive, I always check the ingredients to make sure that it uses ingredients that I know are going to work well for me.

However, unfortunately, a lot of people don't really have much of an idea about what ingredients will be the most beneficial to them when dealing with a skin complaint or their super dry sore scalp. So what I want to do is break things down a bit and help spread the ingredients love by focusing a few posts on how they're used and why they are so fab for you.

I haven't 100% decided yet how to group these posts but I'm thinking of splitting them down into hair, dry skin, oily skin and combination skin. I can also do posts on a particular skin complaint such as eczema or psoriasis if people would find that beneficial, just let me know :)

But for now I will just leave you with the number one rule.

When choosing a product for use on your skin or hair, always choose something using as many natural ingredients as possible. You are far less likely to have a nasty reaction, the product will have more benefit to you and more of the money you are paying out will have been used sourcing these fab, natural ingredients than making the nasty chemicals that fill some beauty products.

Annie x

12 November 2012

Three Little Buhos on Instagram

Just a quick post to say that I've joined the world of instagram.
You can follow me *here* as Three Little Buhos :)
If you drop me a blog comment telling me your name on there then I'll follow you too.
Lets share some photos!
Annie xx

11 November 2012

Review: M.A.C Love Forever Lipstick

The other day I blogged about my latest M.A.C haul from CCO. One of the things I bought was the Love Forever  ProLongwear Lipcreme; a beautiful creamy pink lipstick with great staying power.
Its no secret that I love a bright pink lipstick...or any bright lipstick to be frank and this one definitely fulfilled my brightness quota.
Unlike the usual lipstick offerings from M.A.C this one isn't the usual bullet shape, and infitting with the lipcreme idea, the flat top is reminiscent of a more moisturising lip balm product. I do like this, but with a product that is so highly pigmented I think it does make it a little harder to apply neatly so I do favour the bullet shape.
The lipstick applies really easily and gives a bright coating of colour with just a couple of sweeps. I would describe the colour as a fairly bubblegum shade of pink that is paler than my usual Girl about Town or Moxie, but its really pretty and great for softening a rockier smoky eye. In the photo above I'm wearing it with M.A.C Blue Stripe powerpoint liner which I bought at the same time :) In terms of longevity I find that Love Forever lasts around four hours before I need to top up, and as its a creme rather than your average lipstick it doesn't dry out or make lips sore, yay!

Over all, I rate Love Forever really highly as a product and the only slight complaint I have is with the shape, but all it takes is a careful touch and you can still create a neat line.
How about you, what do you think? Is this a colour you would wear? Have you used a M.A.C lipcreme before? I'll definitely be looking out for more :)
Annie x

8 November 2012

My Latest MAC Haul

It was almost two weeks ago now that I visited the Cosmetics Company Outlet in Swindon and topped up my beloved MAC collection with some bargains. For those who don't know, Cosmetics Company Outlet (CCO) is the outlet for all Estee Lauder owned brands, including MAC, Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder, Origins, Smashbox and Bumble and Bumble. There are a fair few stores across America, however, in England I believe there are only three or four which makes the rare visits even more special.
For me, I was actually pretty restrained and only came away with two lipsticks, an eyeshadow pan for my palette and a kohl eyeliner. What made me most excited though was that the Venomous Villains lipstick, Violetta, and the Hey, Sailor! eyeliner, Blue Stripe were both limited edition products that I wanted but didn't manage to get hold of when they were in MAC stores.
So, what I got:
Pro Longwear lip creme in Love Forever- This lip creme is a pretty bright pink with a blue toned base. It is super long lasting but not at all drying like most long wear lip products. The composition is different to the average MAC lipstick which is why it is classed as a creme. I have a FOTD post lined up to review this already so that will probably be up in the next few days.

Venomous Villains Amplified lipstick in Violetta- Definitely my favourite buy of the haul. This lipstick is a gorgeous purple colour that is oh so bold against my pale skin. Once again it has a blue toned base but there is enough pink to it that it doesn't look too unusual on the skin. I haven't found this to dry out my lips at all, and it lasts around 4-5 hours before I need to touch up. Review to come early next week.

Ahoy, Sailor! Powerpoint eye pencil in Blue Stripe- I was drawn to this colour as the blue is so smokey and intense that it is almost black but with a sexy blue shimmer. Its hard to explain my love for it in a way that people will understand but it is an incredibly sexy colour. It is also a very long lasting, smudge proof liner which makes me so happy. Its actually what I'm wearing around my eyes in the Love Forever review so you'll see it soon!

Eyeshadow palette pan in Bright Sunshine- I've wanted a really pigmented yellow shadow for a long time and this one fits the bill perfectly. It is almost gold in some lights but it the perfect warm yellow shadow. I like to wear it either alone in a bright line along the top lash line, or blended in with a lime green for an uber summery look.

So theres my latest haul from MAC. What do you think? Have you got any of these products? Aren't they just so typically me?

Annie x

6 November 2012

Show Your Support


Beauty may be the at the forefront of what I write about on my blog, however, jewellery and fashion are also a big part of my life. As is supporting charity and raising awareness for people who need it so when Catherine asked me if I could post this article on Three Little Buhos I happily agreed.
Annie x

Jeweller Pandora is the latest company to go good and team up with a charity, its charity of choice, The ABF soldier’s charity. Together they have created the BRITISH ROSE charm for Pandora’s extremely popular and fashionable charm bracelet range.
The stunning Pandora British Rose charm, with its red enamelled petal details and sterling silver encasing is a great way to celebrate, honour or remember a soldier in the British army. 15% of the £40 retail price is donated directly to the ABF which amounts as a small help toward the annual £7million it needs to continue supporting soldiers, veterans and their families both practically and financially. With this figure set to rise to as much as £14million by 2015 following a 30% increase in applications from soldiers you can see exactly why they need your help.
ABF - The soldiers’ charity has 68 years experience of success and support for veterans from both World Wars right the way up to soldiers in active service currently posted in Iraq or Afghanistan. Pandora are a relatively young company in comparison, aimed at the younger market that designs, manufactures and markets hand-finished jewellery. Despite the differences they have, both ABF and Pandora have a very important thing in common, taking pride in what it does and aiming to be the best at it.
This modern and current partnership aims to increase awareness of the charity in the younger market in order to keep the charity moving forward for years to come. There is no easier way to remember someone than by looking down at your wrist. This delicate piece of jewellery is enough to show you care even if you don’t know anyone in the army, enough to make other people think “maybe I should be doing something too”. Join celebrities like Joanna Lumley and Lorraine Kelly in our quest to raise awareness and remember those who do not complain about the risks they put themselves in, they do not let the dangers they face stop them, as for them they are simply doing their job.

3 November 2012

The Lust List- Feel Unique Edition

Its been a bad couple of days, I'm stuck at home with flu so I'm going a little stir crazy. Because of this I was really happy to find that Louise from The Beauty of Louise has a competition running on her blog to win £80 to spend on the feel unique website.
To get the chance to win you have to put together a little collage showing what you would pick if you were to win the £80 and post it on your blog.
I love competitions like this because it takes a bit of time and really gets you thinking...plus I love making wish lists :P So here's what I would choose if I won.
1. First of all I would pick up a bottle of Topping Lane by Nails Inc. Since testing this out on one nail several months ago in Debenhams I haven't been able to get it out of my head.

2. Not necessarily second on the collage, but next, I would buy this fab pink hairdryer from Remington because I actually do not own a hairdryer, I've just never got round to buying one and I think the time has come.

3. To go with the hairdryer, I would pick up a bottle of KMS volumizing heat defense spray because I'm pretty vain when it comes to my hair and I wouldn't want to frazzle it with the dryer.

4. I would also treat myself to my first Dainty Doll purchase in the form of this gorgeous red lipstick. I'm a sucker for a red lipstick so this really appeals to me.

5. Finally, as there is very little I need, and because she always spoils me, I would treat my mum to a little present and get her this lovely and warming tangerine and cranberry scented candle. I love burning scented candles and this one being vegan and made of soya wax, it makes me extra happy :)

So those are my picks. What do you think? Are you going to enter Louise's fabulous competition? What would you buy if you were to win £80 at feel unique?

Annie x